The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop engine preservation

pulling the engine out of the 48 and putting in the engine out of the 54. already did a oil change on the 48 figured to jusst let it run awhile tomorrow before starting removal to make sure oil is circulated good. any suggestions as to help it to not deterioate further while sitting up?

If it's going to sit a long time I would pull the plugs and squirt some oil into the cylinders and rotate the crank by hand to oil wipe the cylinder walls. You can rotate it every once in a while too. There are also engine bags available if you want to seal it from dust and dirt.

I've used a marine fogging oil in the past that is used for outboard engines since they sit in storage more.. It comes in a spray can and you just run the engine at a fast idle and spray it down the carb until the engine starts to smoke like a banshee. When you start it up again when you take it out, it will again smoke like a banshee until it cleans itself out.

That's an excellent idea! I think I'll visit the marine store this weekend to have some on hand.

A friend who runs a salvage yard has a neat trick. He removes the carburetor and exhaust manifolds, covers the ports with strips of thin wood or duct tape, drains as much oil as he can, and then he turns the engine upside down. The residual oil that doesn't drain puddles around the pistons and some seeps into the combustion chambers. Years later, the engine is still free to turn with no cylinder rust. They smoke a little on startup, but there's no storage damage.

Another really long term storage trick is to dismantle the engine somewhat, head(s) off at least, and store the pieces in a ring-top 55 gallon oil drum filled with Diesel fuel.
Jerry

Back in PA when we would store them for the winter, we would bring it up about 1/3 throttle, and dump automatic tranny fluid down the carb. When it starts pouring smoke out the tailpipe, shut her down. Come next spring, fires right up, smokes a little, but everything inside including the exhaust is like new. Does not foul out plugs either.

Thanks for the ideas. Since I move at a slow pace I figure it will sit awhile, unless something goes very wrong with the motor I'm putting in.